Guide shell



April 8, 1952 DELP 2 2,592,253

GUIDE SHELL 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Sept. 15, 1948 April 8, 1952 w. J. DELP 2,592,253

GUIDE SHELL Filed Sept. 15, 1948 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 235 mum",

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Patented Apr. 8, 1952 GUIDE SHELL William J. Delp, Greenville, Mich., assignor to Gibson Refrigerator Company,

Greenville,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 15, 1948, Serial No. 49,390

3 Claims. (Cl. 219-37) This invention relates to a guide shell and to methods of forming the same. The invention is particularly useful in the forming of a guide shell for an adjustable deep well burner or cooker. The methods are advantageously employed in the forming of Walls, guides, and seats in a deep well cooker in which the burner is moved vertically within the guides. It will be understood that the invention is applicable to other uses.

An object of the invention is to provide for the forming of a guide shell or cylinder in which guides and seats are formed within the shell by few operations, while at the same time providing an accurate and sturdy structure, the guides being effective for reinforcing the cylinder in vertical and horizontal planes. A further object is to provide a rapid method for the forming of a guide shell or cylinder through the use of a few sequential steps and while providing a sturdy reinforced structure. Yet another object is to provide a new guide shell structure and a new method for forming the same in which a blank of metal or other suitable material is converted by a modicum of operations into an accurate shell structure providing spaced channels reinforcing the shell material both vertically and laterally. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in several embodiments by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a deep well cooker embodying my invention; Fig. 2,.a side view in elevation; Fig. 3, a plan view of a rectangular strip from which the shell of the cooker is formed, the strip being shown with segments struck therefrom; Fig. 4, a top plan view of the shell formed by securing the edges of the strip shown in Fig. 3 in overlapping relation; Fig. 5, a broken perspective view of an outer Wall portion of the shell structure shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a broken plan view of a portion of the blank from which a modified form of cylinder embodying my invention is formed; Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a second step in the process; Fig. 8, a detail sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 8--8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a broken detail sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 99- of Fig. 7; Fig. 10, a broken perspective view of the exterior portion of the cylinder shown in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive; Fig. 11, a plan view of a blank illustrating the first step in another method embodying my invention; Fig. 12, a View similar to Fig. 11 but showing a second step in the method; and Fig. 13, a broken perspective view showing the structure produced 2 by the method illustrated in Figs. 11 to 13 inelusive.

In the illustration given in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, l0 designates a cylinder having three U- shaped channels H formed therein, the edges of the cylinder being united by spot welding, seam welding, riveted joints, at l2, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. Secured to the top edge portion of the cylinder I0 is a top ring member I3 having a suspension flange I4 adapted to rest upon the top plate of a cooking range, etc. The lower end of the cylinder or shell 10 is enclosed by a ring IS.

A heating element of Well-known construction is mounted within the cylinder ID for movement in a vertical plane. 'The heater consists of a frame It; upon which is mounted an electric resistance coil H. The frame is equipped with laterally-extending guide studs l8 received within the guide channels ll. Since the heating unit is well known, a further detailed description is believed unnecessary.

I have discovered that the shell of the deep well cooker or of any guide cylinder of the character illustrated can 'be formed in an accurate fashion and with a minimum of steps by employing the following method. Starting with a rectangular blank, as illustrated in Fig. 3, I cut away from the blank in an initial step the segments illustrated in the figure. The segments are cut away at three points so as to provide for three guide channels. It will be understood, however, that any desired number of channels may be formed by the method described. In the cutting operation, a recess I9 is formed at the upper edge portion of the cylinder blank, and below the recess I9 is formed an arcuate recess 20. The arcuate recess 21] preferably provides a depression or seat 2|, as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. A recess 22 is also formed, in the cutting step at the bottom edge of the strip. By using a single die, all of the recesses illustrated can be readily formed in a single operation.

Also, as a part of the cutting step, location openings 23 may be pierced to aid in the accurate drawing of the metal in the second step.

In the second operation or step, the metal between the recesses 20 and 22 is pressed outwardly to form the U-shaped channel H, as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. In the drawing or pressing operation, a portion of the metal employed to form the U-shaped strip is indicated by the numeral 24, and portions on each side thereof form the side walls 25 of the U-shaped channel.

The forming of the side walls 25 from the initial wide strip of metal be tween the recesses 20 and 22 results in contracting this portion of metal and at the same time bringing together the edges of the metal about each recess l9, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5.

By providing the spaces I9, 26 and 22, the pressing of the metal to form the U-shaped channels does not bring about a thinning or attenuating of the metal. Instead, the spaces or recesses described permit a simple pressing outwardly of the metal without weakening the metal while, at the same time, narrowing the recesses and preferably bringing the edges of the metal about the recess l9 together.

In the next step, the rectangular strip illustrated in Fig. 3, having the U-shaped channel formed therein, is rolled into the form of acylinder and the overlapping edges united by welding at l2, as illustrated in Fig. i. It will be understood that the edges may be butt-welded or secured together by any other suitable means.

The blank may be formed into a cylinder bysimply connecting the ends or by first forming the blank upon a die or other suitable means.

I In the final assembly operation, the upper ring I3 is attached to the cylinder iii, and the lower ring i5 is secured to the lower end of the cylinder. Usshaped channel H terminates short of the bottom of the cylinder and the ring l5 extends across the recess 22 and provides a stop below the U-shaped channel adapted to support one oiv the studs I8 of the burner or heater unit. In the resulting structure, the studs 18 of the burner unit are guided by the U-shaped channels I l in a. vertical path and then, upon leaving the U- shaped channels H, are guided by the arcuate recess 20 toward the upper seats 2! for the studs.

In the modified method illustrated by Figures 6 to 10 inclusive, the operation is the same as above described except that a portion of the metal about the recess 2a is pressed inwardly to form flanges 28 upon which the studs l8 are guided. If desired, the flanges 26 may be formed by pressing the metal outwardly in the second step in which the channels H are formed by the pressing outwardly of vertical strips of the metal. The cylinder Eli after the drawing of the flanges 26, is formed in the same manner as already described in which the strip is rolled or pressed into the form of a cylinder and the edge portions of the cylinder united.

In the illustration given in Figs. 11 to 13 in.- clusive, a cylinder 40 is formed by the sequence of steps illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. In the first step, the recess 21 is formed, and below the recess a circular portion of the metal is cut away, providing the circular recess 28. In the second step, the metal is pressed outwardly to form a U-shaped channel li and, in this operation, not only is the vertical portion of the channel pressed outwardly but in the same operation the arcuate portion 21 is pressed outwardly. as shown more clearly in Figs. 12 and 1-3. In the pressing of the portion 2? outwardly, the opening 28 is caused to assume an oblong or elongated shape. The edges of the blank are united to form the cylinder, as heretofore described. Byv providing the aperture 28, I find that the channel ll can be drawn together with the arcuate portion 27 thereof without substantially wrinkling or distorting the metal.

In all of the methods illustrated, the provision of the recess at the upper edge and/or lower edge of the blank formed of, metal. or, other suitable material, permits, the drawing of In the specific illustration given, the.

4 the channels with arcuate upper portions providing seats, without attenuating or weakening the metal. The outward pressing of the metal to form the channels simply takes up the space provided by the recesses l9 and at least a part of the space provided by the recesses 22 so that the edges of the metal approach each other. The subsequent addition of the upper ring l3 and the uniting of this to the upper portion of the cylinder ill strengthens the slitted portion of the metal above the seat recess 2! and provides an extremely sturdy structure. The operations-described for forming the blank into the completed cylinder are few and can be carried through expeditiously.

The blank shown in Fig. 1 or a long ribbon of metal from Which the rectangular blanks are subsequently cut, may, in one single cutting operation, have the recesses described formed therein. In the second step, the metal is pressed outwardly to form the U-shaped channel (one at a time) and, if desired, flanges about the arcuate portion of each guide channel. The blank may then be readily bent or rolled into cylindrical form and united as described. The resulting shell or cylinder is strengthened by the vertical U-shaped channels and by the flanges about the arcuate portions of the guide slots so that the blank is stiffened not only vertically by the channels but also in a horizontal plane by the laterally-extending flanges about the arcuate slots.

It is contemplated that the structure herein described may be formed not only of steel but also of aluminum and other suitable metals.

While in the foregoing specification, I have set forth specific structures in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that such details of structure and method may be varied Widely by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

. 1. A guide shell for a deep well cooker and the like, comprising a strip in the form of a cylinder with the edge portions of the strip secured together, said cylinder having a vertical U-shaped,

channel having three sides joined together substantially at right-angles and a laterally-extending channel communicating with the top of the vertical channel, said cylinder being divided at a point between said laterally-extending, channel and the top of the cylinder.

2. A guide shell for a deep Well cooker andthe like, comprising a strip in the shape of a cylinder with the edges or the strip secured together, said shell having a plurality of spaced U -shaped channels. extending vertically therein, each of said channels having three sides joined together substantially at right-angles and laterally-extending.

openings in said shell communicating with the top of. said vertical channels, said shell having a slit therein between said vertically-extending channel and the top of the shell.

3. A deep well cooker comprising a shell having outwardly-extending U-shaped channels extending vertically therein and having also recesses communicating with said vertical channels and providing seat depressions, said shell being divided at points between said recesses and the adjacent outer edge of the shell, an upper suspension ring enclosing the upper divided edge portions of said shell and secured to said shell pori n. was ower' i e n sin th w rport on of said shell, said lower portion of the shell being 5 recessed at a point below each of said U-shaped channels and said lower ring enclosing the lower edge portion of the shell providing a stop below each U-shaped channel. 7

' WILLIAM J. DELP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Mullen et al Sept. 11, 1928 Rutenber Feb. 25, 1947 Kuenne Sept. 6, 1949 Chesser et al Oct, 25, 1949 Snow Oct. 25, 1949 

